Forgive Us Our Trespasses
by jtav
Summary: "Don't try to paint yourself as some kind of noble martyr." Matthias Shepard accepts the surrender of Oleg Petrovsky.


The general stood with his back to the door, staring at a chessboard. His dress uniform was immaculate, the gold on his shoulders and cuffs gleaming in the dim light of the office. But his shoulders were stooped, his head bowed in grief or contemplation. He turned as the door hissed, and Matt finally saw him without the distortion of the QEC or messenger orb. He was not handsome, but his face was arresting. Fatigue and age had etched lines in his flesh. Grey encroached on his goatee like an invading army. There was intelligence in hid dark eyes as his gaze raked over Matt. The master strategist, still forming plans even in defeat. And they were dark eyes, with no sign of the blue light that signaled madness for so many other Cerberus officers. Matt's fingers twitched with the irrational desire for pencil and paper

"Commander Shepard, I surrender myself into your custody." His voice was low and clipped, with a polish to rival Miranda's. He gestured to the gun on the desk. "There is my sidearm and you may confirm that I have no other weapons on my person."

"Surrender? That's the most pathetic thing I've ever heard!" A purple-and-white blur charged forward and knocked Petrovsky into the table before Matt could react. Aria crackled with biotic power as she lunged after him. "You have to pay for what you've done!" Her hands came around his throat.

"Pay for letting you go. Fine repayment for mercy." Petrovsky spluttered as his gaze found Matt's. "I let her escape Omega. But I can offer intelligence on the Illusive Man if that doesn't move you."

Matt looked back and forth between Aria and Petrovsky. The past few months had been as stark and straightforward as a Victorian melodrama. Cerberus implanted it soldiers, turning them into husklike thralls. Of course he fought them. Linron was shrill and paranoid, while Wrex would provide both the needed reinforcements for Palavan and a new way forward for the krogan. Of course he cured the genophage. How quickly a man could become complacent and forget that the world wasn't divided into heroes and villains. "Is this true, Aria?"

"Yes…yes, he let me go. And I always pay my debts" She groaned. "Take him if you think he'll be so useful, Shepard." She jumped back with a disgusted expression, as if Petrovsky were made of toxic waste. "I'm letting you live for the war against your master. I suggest you cooperate before I decide to finish what I started."

Matt watched her go. He had never liked Aria; she reminded him too much of the drug pushers, loan sharks, and other criminals scum who had been all too happy to prey on him and the other refugees from Mindoir. But perhaps… He shook his head.

Petrovsky hauled himself to his feet. His face was red, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. "It seems you've had a calming effect on Ms. T'Loak. Actual care for other sapient lives. You'll have to tell me how you managed it. The usual Shepard charm?" His chuckle came out as more of a cough. "If you could convince Miranda to leave Cerberus, I imagine you could convince anyone of anything."

Matt stilled. "I didn't—you know about Miranda?"

"I brought her into Cerberus years ago. The most dedicated and brilliant of our operatives. I had hoped she would be able to recruit you. We need more like you and her. After you gave us Archer. I had hoped she succeeded." His voice turned bitter. "But now there's no one to balance those fools like Kai Leng. Even the most brilliant man requires wise counsel, and now the Illusive Man isn't receiving it." His voice grew faint, for the first time sounding as if it came from an old man. "I told him that conducting a war on two fronts against the Reapers and Alliance was foolish."

Matt rounded on him, irritation bubbling to the surface. "And that's why you had all those people turned into adjutants? You needed more cannon fodder? I'll let you live because of the intel and because you're not a lunatic, but please don't try to paint yourself as some kind of noble martyr." _I wasn't. I screwed up. I wanted to change the world and I let the Illusive Man convince me he could help. And a boy died because of it._

Petrovsky's eyes widened in disbelief. "Civilians? I have been harsh, but no more than what was necessary to keep order. Those were executions: murderers, rapists, bombers of the very worst sort. My staff assured me protocol was being followed to the letter, that no more of my men would die. I would never—they assured me…." Petrovsky turned away.

"I'm sure the Alliance will want to conduct its own investigation and bring those responsible to justice. Firing squad for anybody responsible, I'm sure."

"Reassurance and threat neatly intertwined. Well played, Commander. I'm beginning to understand what Miranda sees in you." He turned back. "I suppose there are worse ways to end than as a prisoner of war and perhaps the Alliance's plans will fare better than mine." He shrugged. "And who knows? You and I might even become friends."

"That's not—" Matt stopped midsentence as memories flashed across his mind.

_"The only reason I'm letting you off that floor is because this project might prevent a war."_

_"And then, one day, David simply stopped responding. His vitals were strong, but he lost the will to live."_

_"Shepard-Commander, this data cannot be used to control the geth. With the Reaper upgrades, their architecture is too complex._"

No, the universe wasn't black and white. Omega had a way of reminding a man, just in case he was ever tempted to forget. "Well, we do have Miranda in common. I've seen crazier things."

Petrovsky's mouth quirked in what might have been the beginnings of a smile. "Did she ever tell you about her first time leading a squad? We were supposed to steal schematics from the Armali Council…"

They talked all the way to the Citadel.


End file.
